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Square Debuts its Latest Hardware, a $299 Card Swiper for iPad Registers

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Re: Square Debuts its Latest Hardware, a $299 Card Swiper for iPad Registers

#41

Post by mrweasel »

jguimont wrote: post #36
MrDOS wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Canada, virtually all credit card transactions now take place via chip insertion, not swiping, and chip transactions require PIN entry, not signing. Unless they get an external numpad to handle such things, this is going to be a security nightmare.

In Canada, most in store transaction are using Interac and not credit cards. I wonder when Square will accept both. I guess europeen countries have something similar to Interac as well (french's blue card?).

I'm not really sure what Interac is, but a large number of European credit cards aren't credit cards, they are debit cards, issued by your bank. The cards are co-branded VISA or MasterCard. Some countries have they own national cards, Denmark has Dankort, the Netherlands have they own, Finland is dropping theirs I think, and I'm sure there's more.

The point is that the European rules for credit cards is EVERY different from the US. Signatures are no longer valid, you need the PIN and a lot of ATM and terminals will only read the chip. New terminals without chip read won't get approved.

Launching a swipe terminal is catering to a dying marked.

Re: Square Debuts its Latest Hardware, a $299 Card Swiper for iPad Registers

#42

Post by nathanbarry »

stbtrax wrote: post #37
joezydeco wrote: post #11

So what happens with signatures? I recently visited a cafe where they were using an iPad as a checkout, and the cashier had to constantly swivel the thing around to let customers sign for their purchase. I know it's not that big an inconvenience, but it just seemed like an awkward conclusion to a transaction that's supposed to be simplified by these devices.

I always found the ritual of the cashier handing you two receipts, and a pen, then you struggling to find counter space to sign it with the non-functional pen, then trying to had back the pen and the receipt without giving them your copy, all with one hand since you're holding a drink in your other hand, to be even more awkward.

Signing a receipt while holding a baby is really tricky. Square is easy to sign just because the ipad doesn't move around like the paper does.

Re: Square Debuts its Latest Hardware, a $299 Card Swiper for iPad Registers

#43

Post by ricardobeat »

puls wrote: post #21
dangrossman wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The receipt printer is a network printer; it needs an ethernet cable. The iPad connects to the printer over wifi. The receipt printer is connected to the cash drawer by, essentially, a telephone cable. The printer tells the drawer to open through that line; the iPad does not directly communicate with the cash drawer. Unfortunately I paid $499 for this stuff from Square just last month, and I'm not going to spend $299…

The Square Stand actually includes a USB hub to plug the printer, cash drawer, and barcode scanner in via USB. It's much simpler than setting up everything to talk on the network.

Do printers/drawers/scanners come with an USB interface?

Re: Square Debuts its Latest Hardware, a $299 Card Swiper for iPad Registers

#44

Post by royalpineapple »

ricardobeat wrote: post #43
puls wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Square Stand actually includes a USB hub to plug the printer, cash drawer, and barcode scanner in via USB. It's much simpler than setting up everything to talk on the network.

Do printers/drawers/scanners come with an USB interface?

Absolutely, Here is a list of USB hardware compatible with the Square Stand.

https://squareup.com/help/en-us/article/5125-square-stand-su...

Re: Square Debuts its Latest Hardware, a $299 Card Swiper for iPad Registers

#45

Post by meerita »

mattermill wrote: post #6
meerita wrote: post #5

Here in Barcelona we're using wireless for paying. Each card has a chip you just get your card close to the read and bam, you payed the bill. It's nice and confortable.

That sounds sketchy as hell.

I took a picture of the system we use. http://www.flickr.com/photos/minid/8741099364/in/photostream

Re: Square Debuts its Latest Hardware, a $299 Card Swiper for iPad Registers

#46

Post by meerita »

bhitov wrote: post #38
mattermill wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sounds sketchy as hell.

At least on the cards I have looked into in the US, there is a purchase price limit and the card info is transmitted with ECC.

The system is cool, imho. For buying something low price, then you don't need to insert password, and I assume with limited operations during certain time. But for expensive ones, you just put your 4 digit pin. The difference is just the card isn't raped on the device.

Each time you pass the card on a place like that it destroy itself, specially if the clerk doesn't have a good day, they just smash the cards until they can't be read.

I replaced 3 cards in a year before the tap system.

Re: Square Debuts its Latest Hardware, a $299 Card Swiper for iPad Registers

#47

Post by MrDOS »

mrweasel wrote: post #41
jguimont wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Canada, most in store transaction are using Interac and not credit cards. I wonder when Square will accept both. I guess europeen countries have something similar to Interac as well (french's blue card?).

I'm not really sure what Interac is, but a large number of European credit cards aren't credit cards, they are debit cards, issued by your bank. The cards are co-branded VISA or MasterCard. Some countries have they own national cards, Denmark has Dankort, the Netherlands have they own, Finland is dropping theirs I think, and I'm sure there's more. The point is that the European rules for credit cards is EVERY differe…

Interac is actually the name of a payment services company (they license and operate point-of-sale plastic-handling machines), but the name is most commonly associated with the Canadian variety of debit cards. As in Europe, the cards are issued by the bank, but they're not generally cobranded with any credit card company and payments made with them draw funding directly from your chequing account.
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